Cruel Romance
by DeeNee6
Summary: How Merlin Season 5 should've ended. Spoilers (sort of) ArthurxMerlin One-shot. I guess anything Merthur would be OOC wouldn't it?


**This is how I think that Merlin Season Five ****_should_**** have ended. I know they would never have considered ending it this way, especially since it's MerlinxArthur, but it's fun all the same.**

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Merlin. If I did, would I be here? Would Arthur have died? I didn't think so. On with the story...**

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_Cruel Romance_

Merlin flung out his hands and with a flash of his eyes, the Saxons flew backwards. Arthur watched as his best friend flaunted the secret he had kept so long in front of his face.

"You've lied to me all this time," He mumbled, the betrayal still cutting deep. For Merlin had not just been his servant, or even his friend. Merlin had been someone special to Arthur. Merlin gave him a sort of comfort the Guinevere never could. As much as he loved her, Merlin had been his first. It was Merlin that had saved him, made him feel whole. The one person he believed he could trust with his life, with not a shred of doubt.

And now he watched as everything they shared faded, like the golden light that appeared in Merlin's eyes.

"We need to keep moving," Merlin said, his voice devoid of emotion. Did he not care for Arthur at all? Was that also a lie? Was his loyalty to his king the only reason why he was doing this? Arthur was too scared to ask, because he didn't want to know the answer.

"Come on. It'll be good for you," Merlin pushed the spoonful of stew closer to the kings mouth. It refused to open. "You need to eat!"

"Why are you doing this?" Arthur shot back, his patience having run out. He needed answers. "Why are you still behaving like a... servant?"

Merlin was quiet for a moment. "It's my destiny. As it has been since the day we met."

Memories instantly came flooding back to Arthur. Merlin standing up for that poor excuse for a servant he used to have. Clearly not realizing to whom he was speaking. A fight they shared in the lower town...

"I tried to take your head off with a mace," Arthur recalled, almost smugly.

"And I stopped you, using magic," Merlin admitted.

Arthur looked up at him in with a mix of shock, annoyance and something else Merlin couldn't quite put his finger on, all splashed on his face. "You cheated."

"You would've killed me," Merlin pointed out.

"Should've," Arthur said bluntly, a hard edge on his voice. Merlin's face fell, and sadness overwhelmed him. Did Arthur not remember the happiness they had both felt once upon a time? Or did that all count for nothing now that his true nature was revealed? Maybe Arthur needed convincing.

"I do this, because of who you are," Merlin said slowly, weighing the affect each word had on Arthur carefully. "Without you, Camelot's nothing."

Arthur gulped as his earlier fears were proven right. Taking a deep breath - he hoped that Merlin would think it was because he was dying, not because he felt a much deeper pain burning through his chest - he slowly denied what Merlin said. "There was a time where that was true but not now. There are many who can fill the crown."

Merlin shook his head, now smiling a little. Was the king so clueless? "There'll never be another like you Arthur." He lifted up the king's head and brought the spoon close to his mouth again. "And I also do this... because you're my friend and I don't want to lose you."

Arthur excepted the food this time, however he was still having doubts.

"Why did you never tell me?" Arthur asked bravely, while Merlin wiped his forehead with a cool cloth. "All those times we shared... I thought I knew you. But now..."

Merlin sighed, wondering when this would come up. He wanted to think of a good answer, one that would make Arthur see that he still cared, but nothing came up. So instead, he said: "You'd 've chopped my head off."

Reality hit Arthur like a ton of bricks. Merlin was partially right; once upon a time that was exactly what he would've done. But after that night... after all these years...

"I'm not sure what I'd 've done," he said reluctantly.

"I didn't want to put you in that position," Merlin explained, finally revealing what he meant, the _real_ reason he didn't tell.

Arthur gave him a bewildered look. "_That's_ what worried you?"

"I was born to serve you Arthur. And I wouldn't change a thing." Merlin hoped Arthur would sense the double meaning in his words.

But Arthur was still a little confused, and being mortally wounded didn't help anything either.

Arthur gulped down the offered water, and as he did he came to a decision.

"Merlin," he began. "Whatever happens-"

"Shh," Merlin silenced him, not wanting to hear anymore.

Arthur shook his head. "I'm the king Merlin, you can't tell me what to do."

Merlin sniggered a little bit. "I always have. I'm not going to change now."

Arthur sighed. "I don't want you to change."

Merlin perked up a little, daring to let a little hope loose. _Does this mean... ?_

"I want you to always be you."

Merlin's face lit up instantly. But then something occurred to him. _He's dying. He's half delirious, surely he doesn't know what he's saying._

"I'm sorry. About how I treated you," Arthur apologised.

_This doesn't seem like the ramblings of a half-dead man_, Merlin thought. _There's the unmistakable ring of truth in his words._

Arthur's head slumped as he began to slip into the world of the unconscious. Merlin panicked, for if he fell asleep now, he wasn't sure if he would wake up again. He shook his king awake.

"Does that mean you're going to give me the day off?" He asked half sarcastically.

"Two," Arthur responded, just as bad. They both knew that he wasn't likely to see the next sunrise, let alone another two.

That thought almost made Merlin collapse right there, admit to his friend just how much he really meant to him, that he'd always loved him, that he always would...

Arthur's head slumped again. Merlin hurriedly checked his pulse. It was still going.

Merlin sighed in relief.

Arthur and Merlin stumbled towards the Lake of Avalon, leaving the dead body of Morgana Pendragon behind.

"We have to make it to the lake!" Merlin mumbled, knowing it was unlikely.

"Without the horses?" Arthur pointed out, just as they collapsed onto the ground. "We can't. It's too late. It's too late."

Merlin wanted to deny it with every fiber in his being. But he couldn't.

"With all your magic Merlin, you can't save my life," Arthur added.

This Merlin would deny. "I can. I'm not going to lose you!"

"Just... just... just hold me," Arthur urged, patting the hand that Merlin had wrapped around him. "Please."

There was so much agony, so much longing in that one little word that Merlin couldn't resist. Arthur's will crushed his own.

"There's... there's... something I want to say," Arthur stuttered.

"You're not going to say goodbye!"

"No. Merlin. Everything you've done, I know now. For me. For Camelot. For the kingdom you helped me build."

"You'd 've done that without me," Merlin argued.

"Maybe," Arthur allowed. "I want to say... something I've never said to you before. Merlin... I love you. I always will, until the last breath leaves my body." He reached his arm around to pull Merlin's head down and give him a sweet, tender kiss. Merlin didn't move away, wanting this moment to last forever.

But it didn't.

Arthur's hand and lips went slack, and Merlin pulled away to watch his lover's eyes roll into the back of his head.

"No," Merlin shook Arthur's head, tears building up. "Arthur!"

The king's eyes opened a little.

"Stay with me," Merlin whispered, his voice not going any louder. "Please."

But Arthur couldn't hold on anymore, and slowly, he let go. He slipped into the world of the dead without a sound.

"Arthur. No... Arthur!" Half crying, Merlin used his final card. "O drakon! E mala..."

Merlin pressed his forehead to Arthur's, until he heard a roar in the distance.

"Kilgharrah! I would not have summoned you, if there was any other choice. I have one last favour to ask."

Merlin dragged Arthur's body off the dragon's back, towards the lake.

"Merlin," Kilgharrah said suddenly. "There's nothing you can do."

The warlock shook his head in denial. "I've failed."

"No, young warlock, for all that you have dreamt of building has come to pass," The Great Dragon said.

"It means nothing to me if I cannot save him!" Merlin roared. "He's everything to me."

"Arthur will rise again when Albion's greatest time of need arises. He is the Once and Future King."

"I don't care! I need him. Camelot needs him."

"Guinevere will rule his kingdom easily," Kilgharrah said softly.

Merlin gulped down his tears. He didn't want the dragon to see him cry.

Brokenly, he lay Arthur's body in the boat at the bank of the river. Seeing his best friend lying there... it broke any last shred of will he had. Merlin cried. He cried his heart out, and shed the pain in tears that had just been waiting to be poured.

In a last moment of acceptance, Merlin leaned in and kissed his lover for all it was worth. Three years worth of unshared love for Arthur was put into one small gesture. For after Gwen was crowned queen, Merlin and Arthur's relationship could no longer continue. Arthur and Gwen shared a quarters now. Every morning Merlin had to go in, pretending to be his normal cheery self when deep down he was heartbroken as he looked on at the King and Queen sleeping soundly. Together. Merlin only accepted it because it was the King's fate to marry Gwen. There wasn't anything he could do about it. Just like now.

So Merlin was very surprised when all of a sudden, he felt something kissing him back. The last dragonlord opened his eyes to see Arthur arm's reaching up to hold him.

"Arthur?" Merlin said in shock, blinking away his tears. "What... how?"

"You, Merlin. You brought me back," Arthur said cryptically, but Merlin was still confused. He looked to Kilgharrah for answers.

"True love's kiss, Merlin. It can break any spell, heal any ailment. Even though the Old Religion usually requires another life to replace the one saved, it seems that it has accepted the witch's," The Great Dragon explained.

"Since when does love have anything to do with the Old Religion?" Merlin asked, still confused.

"Merlin. Love is as old as the earth itself. Even older than. It has _everything_ to do with the Old Religion."

Merlin looked back to Arthur. "So you're alive?"

"It would seem so," Arthur said smiling.

"Merlin, didn't I once tell you the you and Arthur were two sides of the same coin?" Kilgharrah pointed out.

He looked over at the Great Dragon. "Hang on, isn't that...?"

Kilgharrah flew off, just as Merlin said: "Uhhh... You see Arthur..."

"Merlin!" Arthur said, whacking him over the head with a grin on his face.

"Umm... I might be a, uh, sort of... dragonlord?"

"A _dragonlord_?" Arthur cried in disbelief.

"Yeah."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You really have been lying to me about everything haven't you?" But there was no malice or accusations in his voice this time.

"I can think of just one exception," Merlin murmured.

"Really?" Arthur responed, catching onto his servant's mood.

"Mmhm." He kissed the King again, more passionately this time, because Arthur wasn't dead, or dying, so he had plenty of energy to respond.

Arthur pulled back after a while. "You've been crying haven't you?"

Merlin bit down on his lip. "No."

"You really need to get out of this lying business, Merlin. It's bad for you. Didn't I say that no man is worth your tears?"

"Mmm... I might need some help remembering that..." Merlin leaned in again, and this time he climbed into the boat with his lover, and they... well, you probably don't want to know the details.

_The End_

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**There we go! I fixed the episode! :D Please review and let me know what you think. Love it? Hate it? Somewhere in between?**

**Thank you all for reading this, and I hope that Merlin and Arthur will forever live in your hearts 3**

**OMG the show is over... DX DX WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!**


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